Savvy business owners are perpetually concerned about the future of their companies. We want to make strategic decisions that pave the way for a profitable and successful road ahead. But the future of your company relies on how you handle conflict resolution—that means planning for ways of managing conflict in the workplace. As a business owner, part of your leadership skills must focus on resolving conflict in ways that nurture your company's culture and keep your staff on task.

Over the years that I've owned several businesses, I've learned a thing or two about conflict, effective leadership and management skills and maintaining productivity over the long haul.

1. Make your expectations clear.

One of the greatest sources of conflict results from a critical failure of leadership and management skills. Good leaders make expectations clear. Lousy leaders invite unnecessary conflict by failing to establish standards of success.

Clearly delineated responsibilities, benchmarks that indicate progress and regular communication can help foster a collective foundation that heads off conflict over what constitutes acceptable behavior. Your leadership skills mean providing a clear picture of what you expect from your staff, especially when you're managing diversity in the workplace.

After all, if your employees don't know what you want, they're going to have a hard time delivering it.

2. Involve all parties in conflict resolution.

You simply can't avoid all conflict, no matter how great your leadership skills. And, in fact, not all conflict is bad. Struggle and conflict can lead to growth, creativity and innovation…especially if the parties involved in a conflict are invested in resolving the dispute.

The best leaders don't hand down decisions from on high. They model genuine leadership by encouraging employees to collaborate in finding a path forward.

3. Focus on common goals.

Perhaps the sales department has desires that are contrary to the needs of another department. Part of helping employees find that path forward is encouraging your staff to focus on the goals and values they share.

A leader who's facilitating conflict resolution might ask employees to articulate their goals, both within their little kingdom and for the company as a whole. By using your leadership skills to ground staff in a common purpose, you're encouraging a constructive, future-focused approach to conflict resolution.

4. Look ahead.

Especially when a conflict turns into an emotionally charged experience, it's natural to want to see an opponent “punished," even if that's not in the company's best interest. You may find your leadership skills put to the test when employees are genuinely angry or hurt.

Remind yourself (and your staff) that the goal is resolving conflict in a way that both keeps the company and employees on track and also heads off future conflict.

Managing conflict and diversity in the workplace can require finesse and creativity. When conflict does erupt, take that as an opportunity to reflect on company culture and how you can foster both inclusion and productivity.

5. Follow up with your team.

It's common for everyone in a workplace to breathe a sigh of relief when a tense period passes. Conflict resolved…moving on. And while it is important to focus on positive takeaways and forging ahead, it's also important to grow your leadership skills by making a point to follow up on divisive incidents.

Now, this doesn't mean rehashing topics that made everyone angry. It does mean taking the temperature of your staff—checking in to observe the relationships among your employees and check for lingering hostility.

If part of the conflict resolution called for specific behaviors or goals, then it's also important to circle back to make sure benchmarks are being met by all parties.

6. Keep communication lines open.

Just as clear expectations can help head off conflict, so can open communication. Part of your leadership skill set should be tools for fostering open, positive, and productive discussion among your staff. And make sure information flows in all directions. Again, leadership isn't just about declarations. It's about actively listening to the concerns and suggestions of your employees and encouraging healthy discussion among your employees.

Remind yourself (and your staff) that the goal is resolving conflict in a way that both keeps the company and employees on track and also heads off future conflict.

It's naïve to think that even the greatest of leaders can prevent all conflict. It's simply impossible. And again, conflict can be good for a company. When you have employees arguing about the best way to accomplish a task, that may mean that they're heavily invested in seeing your business succeed.